Cavs (21-40) vs. Grizzlies (40-19) - Game #62

SAMAMICO

FS Ohio

The
Cavs are expected to have all their starters back, with Dion Waiters (stomach virus) returning after a two-game absence. But it’s the reserves who will be fired up for this one -- as
Marreese Speights and
Wayne Ellington came to Cleveland from Memphis in a late-January trade. Clearly, those two have helped make the Cavs more relevant. At the same time, the
Grizzlies have hardly skipped a beat. They’ve won 10 of 11, with the lone loss coming at Miami.

• In fact, all of the Grizzlies do it with defense. They lead the NBA in points allowed -- surrendering a measly 89.4 points per game.

• Grizzlies starting power forward
Zach Randolph, the team’s lone All-Star representative, missed the previous two games with a sprained ankle. He’s questionable for Friday.

• The Grizzlies are 11-3 since trading
Rudy Gay to Toronto. They received Prince and forward
Austin Daye (Detroit), and Davis (Toronto), in the deal.

• The Cavs have a tendency to surrender big leads (Phoenix, New York), and the Grizzlies have a tendency to overcome them. They came back to beat Dallas after trailing by 25 on Feb. 27, then came from 17 down to win their next home game vs. Portland.

• Memphis is 10-1 when shooting at least 50 percent from the field, and 29-2 when shooting a better field-goal percentage than its opponent.